Lexus Celebrates 20 Years in the UK - VIDEO ENHANCED

EPSOM, UK - December 8, 2010: In 1990 Lexus made its
debut in the UK, a new luxury brand from Toyota represented by a single
model: the LS 400 saloon, powered by a distinctively smooth, refined and
whisper-quiet 4.0-litre V8 engine.

Could it cut the mustard against the established European prestige
marques? Could it set new standards in technology, equipment specifications
and safety? And could it achieve higher customer satisfaction levels than
any other brand?

Click PLAY to watch the Lexus retrospective video

Move the calendar forward to 2010 and Lexus has achieved all these
feats, and more. The doubters of the ‘90s – and there were more
than a few ready to dismiss an upstart luxury brand from Japan – have
been proved wrong and Lexus commands respect as one of the most innovative
and accomplished car makers in the world.

Today Lexus’s UK range of four mainstream models – IS, GS,
RX and LS – plus the high-performance IS-F and ultra-exclusive LFA
supercar, are among the most technically advanced, luxurious and
sophisticated in their class. Furthermore, no automotive brand delivers
better service to its customers, according to the independent annual UK
customer satisfaction survey by J.D. Power and Associates, in which
Lexus’s status as the top ranked manufacturer has been unchallenged
for the past 10 years.

In terms of powertrain technology, too, Lexus maintains its industry
leadership. It introduced full hybrid power to the prestige car market with
Lexus Hybrid Drive in the RX 400 in 2005 and has continuously improved the
technology to deliver an unmatched combination of power, fuel efficiency
and reduced emissions in new generations of the RX, GS and LS.

Lexus’s product development will enter an important new phase
early in 2011 with the launch of the full hybrid CT 200h, its first model
for the luxury small car segment. Although positioned as the gateway to the
Lexus range, it has been designed in detail to deliver sporty ride and
handling performance, combined with emissions and fuel economy benefits of
the Lexus Hybrid Drive powertrain.

Twenty years ago the on-the-road price for a new LS 400 was £34,625,
which is the equivalent today of around £58,000. The contrast with the
current top-of-the range Lexus, the full hybrid LS 600h long wheelbase
limousine, is stark in almost every respect: in place of the V8 engine
there is a full hybrid powertrain; the equipment specification has a wealth
of significantly more sophisticated and luxurious features; and the car is
designed, engineered and built to higher standards all round. .

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